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Beachgoers flee sea lions flustered by woman taking photos, TikTok video shows

Sea lions dozing on a La Jolla beach chase away California beachgoers after one gets too close trying to get photos in a viral TikTok video.
Sea lions dozing on a La Jolla beach chase away California beachgoers after one gets too close trying to get photos in a viral TikTok video. Screengrab from TikTok video

Visitors to a La Jolla beach scramble away as two annoyed California sea lions waddle after them in a viral video posted to TikTok.

The video, shot Friday, July 8, at La Jolla Cove, has 9.2 million views with 1.2 million likes and 11,600 comments as of July 11.

@favortown These sea lions made my day yesterday #california ♬ Apple bitten jeans beach boys 1964 - done4dayz

Charlianne Yeyna, who was visiting the beach from Riverside, California, shot the video after seeing a woman approach the sleeping sea lions for a photo, KSWB reported.

“It just woke up and started chasing everybody,” Yeyna told KNSD. “I started recording because it was really funny to watch for me because to see all these tourists getting blown away by these giant sea lions.”

After chasing off beachgoers, the sea lions dove into the ocean, the video shows.

“I think this is their natural habitat. If anything, it’s the people who are getting too close,” beachgoer Kellen Clark told the station July 10 at La Jolla Cove.

People leaving comments on the viral video seemed to agree.

“Honestly, good for them,” one person wrote.

“That’s their cove,” read another comment.

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This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Beachgoers flee sea lions flustered by woman taking photos, TikTok video shows."

DS
Don Sweeney
The Sacramento Bee
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.
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